- "Below average"
Tee boxes and fairways are in good/great shape. But the greens are the worst in the area I have seen all year. A combination of weed and crabgrass infested PLUS dead and dirt patches. And at $70 (plus a fuel surcharge?!? that makes it $75), it will be off my list for a while. We showed up a bit early to our 10am Sunday tee time to hit a few range balls. If you know the course, you know that one tee is just next to the range. We should have known when no groups went off the tee between our 9:15a arrival and our tee... on a Sunday. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Back at Emerald Lake for the first time since Memorial Day weekend. The greens are starting to get their late summer softness, which leads to many, many ballmarks and sometimes bumpy putts. So they are not as good as they were in early summer. However, I'd say they are in much better shape for this time of year than in years' past. The speed was decent but not fast at all. The tees and fairways were fine, no issues to note. The disappointing aspect of the course conditions right now are the bunkers. Several -- especially the ones on the par 5 5th hole -- were overgrown with grass and weeds. I was shocked. My playing partner lost a ball in a fairway bunker on that hole due to the overgrowth. Just a severe lack of attention and care to a basic aspect of course maintenance. There were a few more bunkers on other holes with grass (e.g. par 3 16th greenside bunker) and some that just had not been raked or maintained. Given the price ($72) and the condition of the rest of the course, I don't understand why these bunkers were neglected. I did see the GM and the superintendent riding around the course but did not get a chance to ask them about the bunkers. While Emerald Lake has made great strides from previous seasons with their Bent grass greens and course improvements, I was disappointed with this round. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
So just let me preface this review real quick…Emerald Lake has unfortunately been one of my least favorite places to play through the years. From layout to conditions it’s sucked for many, many years. But I got invited to play there last week, so I went.
I knew something was up immediately when I saw the maintenance crew topdressing tees. And then when I got to the course I knew things had completely changed out there. Their bent grass greens are 2 feet faster and have much better coverage than Pine Island’s private CC greens. Sure…the first bounce is nonexistent but their green’s speed is much faster than you’d expect from any place in the summer with bent grass greens. Just fix a couple ball marks and any putt is makeable out there.
The fairways were flawless. I still can’t believe I’m saying this about EL. Playing it down…I didn’t have the first bad lie. Even the holes that notoriously flood were completely dry and in the same shape as the rest of the course. And the fact that they’re topdressing tees let’s me know somebody gives a hoot out there.
Couldn’t have been more surprised by Emerald Lake. Definitely worth playing if you’ve written this course off in the past!!! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Back at Emerald Lake to use up a raincheck before it expired (and managed to dodge the storms so I didn't get another one). Got what I expected. The bent grass greens are getting close to the edge with unfixed ball marks and bare dirt spots where old locations used to be. You've probably got another couple of weeks before the greens will be in trouble. Today they rolled well as long as you fixed any marks on your line. The rest of the course was in fine shape, no issues. Very pricey, as I've reported for years. Got there as a walkup about 2:40 and the rate was going to be $64. The pro shop suggested I go out at 3:10 when the rate would drop to $45 - so I appreciated that. Still, $45 after 3 on a Friday afternoon for Emerald Lake is... not a deal. I kinda had to use the raincheck or lose it, so... One other note, they have paved the parking lot where the old clubhouse used to be to the right of #18. So that's a different visual now, not to mention dangerous O.B.(better have insurance ;-). Other than that, Emerald Lake is still a fun track to play and I have so much history here that I'll be back when the time and price are right. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Emerald Lake used to be my home course and so I played it a ton over the years. Wasn't particularly happy with my experience this time back for 3 reasons -- they have raised the hole cups, they've added a $7 surcharge for single cart usage and their rate for a Tuesday morning round 3 weeks after aeration was $55 (!). The fairways were in good shape and the greens rolled well considering you could still see the aeration holes and some of the sand. But come on, the raised cups do not feel like golf. Put a foam filler in, turn them upside down, but don't raise the cups. Every thing within about 8-10 feet was a virtual gimme. No fear at all. At least my two birdies on #6 and #10 were gimmes under normal conditions (less than 3 feet), but I had a few pars that were no sweat at all from within 10 feet. And I made a dubious "bogey" on 7 with a chip that hit the raised cup. So it was a great round (75) but was probably a 78 with normal cups. This is the first course I've played that's using raised cups and I'll wait to come back until they go back to normal and wipe out that ridiculous $7 surcharge. $62 for a weekday morning round! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Love the layout but the bent grass greens were soft and hairy. Could not get enough of a consistent roll to make any significant putts. I've gotten so spoiled by all the Bermuda grass courses around town that coming back to Emerald Lake was a bit disappointing. Several of the greens had issues with old ball marks or thin dirt spots, but they didn't necessarily affect putting as much as the slow speed and natural bumpiness of the bent grass. Fairways, rough, bunkers and tees were all just fine. The rate was good for a weekday afternoon but $5 for a Stella was pretty steep. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
As said earlier, the greens are severely pockmarked. I tried to repair several marks each hole, but it's a lesson in frustration as there are thousands. Fairways good, bunkers mostly good, but unraked, not sure why that was. I ran out of sand in 4 holes so the new carts will hopefully have 2 carriers. I didn't see a place on the course to acquire new sand, so played the last 14 holes without it. Obviously I'm obsessed with that. I love this course, but it kicked me this time. Tees were hard as a rock, maybe they could put a hammer in each cart. Should be good now with the rain. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I just played the front 9 as the back 9 was closed due to a wedding and I only had 2 hours of daylight. I wanted to post this review though to say that Emerald Lake's bent grass greens are just okay. The course gets so much play from folks who you don't fix pitch marks that the greens are extremely pock marked. Most of the time, you can fix the marks in the line of your putt and it's okay, but this is going to take its toll. It's only the first of June. Emerald Lake is one of the last public courses remaining with bent grass greens (along with nearby Olde Sycamore which tends to suffer similarly in the summer). I'm not sure how much longer they'll go before converting to Bermuda. The rest of the course was fine as far as conditions. I've played a lot of golf here (I was member for two seasons several years ago) and so I really know and love the layout (especially the back 9). If you play here this summer, post a review and let me know how it holds up. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in great shape, greens had just been punched, so they were a tad bumpy in places and super slow, seemed and looked a bit fuzzy, but with bentgrass I think they didn't want to cut them right after punching them, but we played for a reasonable rate, so cant complain! Course should be good to go and back to normal conditions soon! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played Emerald Lake on Friday. Weather was absolutely perfect. Course is in fairly good shape, other than the fact that it was really wet in spots, which was odd, as it hasn't rained much at all lately. Greens were the best I've seen them at Emerald Lake in quite sometime. The bermuda on the fairways and rough is still dormant, but should start greening up soon. They had some tees pushed up as they were letting some boxes recover. New clubhouse/grill is gorgeous. Pace of play was good. Our threesome got around in exactly 4 hours despite several foursomes directly in front of us. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
Giving them 1 star for pace of play. Course wasn't that busy, but they sent out a 4-ball and 3-ball of beginner golfers. By the time they finished they were 5 holes behind (and never caught up). No ranger in sight. In addition to slow play these guys were tearing the course up with massive divots, not raking bunkers (even taking practice swings in the sand). If there had been a ranger we could have told him/her to explain how golf works to these beginners (they don't know any better). The course was happy to take our money, and not care about customer service after that. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First full round here in a while, though I practice here frequently. The new clubhouse and grill are now open too, making the course feel normal again. I really like the placement of the grill and patio overlooking the 2nd green, 9th green, 10th tee, 14th tee and 18th green. Great view of several holes. The course itself was in good shape. The greens were cut and rolled true and fairly quick. Most had lots of ball marks, but not such a crazy amount that they affected putts. I tried to fix several that were fresh on each hole. The 10th green had an odd blemish near the collar where there looked to be about 6 old cup holes filled in with sand. There were a few muddy and GUR spots, but nothing significant affecting play. All in all, tee to green, it's in really good shape. They've added these red, white and blue posts to most greens. I couldn't quite figure out the purpose - my partners seem to think it was to rest your clubs on. A few times they got in the way and we had to temporarily displace them. I would have been more concerned if I had hit an approach shot that ricocheted badly off of one. So golfer beware. Contrary to my experience at Rocky River the day before, the cart girl was seen early and often throughout our round. Pace of play was good and we had a great holiday round. I've played Emerald Lake more than any other course over the years since I had a membership for 2 seasons. So it's like an old friend to me and I'll come back often. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Emerald Lake is a great place to play. The fairways were really nice, the greens rolled true even though there were punch holes. The traps need work as some had little sand still, same as my last review. Pace of play was slow due to us, there wasn't anyone in front of us. WE let several groups through. Couldn't repair divots though, there wasn't any sand on the carts either, they must be out of sand. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Fairways good, Some bunkers thin, Tees coming in. Greens getting better after aeration. They were still spotty and sandy, but we had a good time. Needs a few more weeks to be great. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
There is no such thing as an easy golf course. But if there was, Emerald Lake would be it. Yes, the par-5 #14 over water (twice!) is a challenge. Especially if you really should face facts and play from the shorter tees. But for the most part, the fairways are wide and the greens are large.
Lots of bunkers, but (with the drought) the sand is super-dry.
ONE COMPLAINT. Several greens with muddy areas just off the collars. Assuming it's a result of poor drainage.
Speaking of easy, this is the easiest walking course in the Charlotte
area. Never really had to "chug it" uphill.
Greens are super-fast. Again, maybe, blame/thank the drought. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
It's been over a year since I've played here but I will be back more ofter.The course for the most part is in really good shape,the greens except for a few unrepaired ball marks,are very good.The fairways good and the rough a little thick ,but fair.I am a senior and I didn't have any problem playing the white tees like a former poster,as a matter of fact I had the opposite problem,the whites on some holes were too near the reds.I also saw a former reviewer's problem with a lot of mushy areas around the greens and fringes from watering the greens,but I can live with that for good greens.Another concern were some of the traps.I was in only one,and while it was freshly raked and looked good,there was only a thin covering of sand and then clay.Hard to play out of that. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Both good news and bad news. The good news is that the new pro shop is open and operating, and the new clubhouse (currently under construction and scheduled to be completed in one month) shows promise of being quite impressive when finished. The physical layout of the structures is serviceable and the driving range extends from the parking lot to them with dramatic effect. The practice green, driving range, fairways, and greens were all in good condition and very “green”. In my personal opinion, Emerald Lake could soon become one of the top courses in the Charlotte area if they continue on their current track. Now, the bad news. The grounds superintendent evidently is taking the declaration of a drought to heart, to the point of over-watering the course. This was apparent throughout the entire course, but particularly on the back side of the No.1 green and the rough along the fairway and cart path leading uphill to the No. 9 green. With respect to the former, there was no immediate area for relief from casual water, and while “playing it where it lies” I suffered the expected result of soggy ground and my chip didn’t even make the putting surface. On number 9, neither my playing partner nor I was able to get our approach shot anywhere close to the pin because of the “fat” shot induced by the soggy ground. The other bad news is more of a personal issue where, once again, a course does not have a tee base in the middle range of my recommended Play-It-Forward yardage – the red tees are at the low end, and the white tees are at the high end. I chose to play from the latter, and felt further penalized when I discovered that five out of the eighteen tee boxes had the white and blue tee markers exactly coincident with one another. At least the weather and playing companions were pleasant. Otherwise, it would have been a very poor golfing experience. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I had heard about slow play, but didn't experience it. The round (2 players) took 3 hours and 45 minutes. Greens were very soft with lots of ball marks that hadn't been repaired. Starter sent us out 10 minutes early and told us to catch up with a 2 some in front of us. That didn't work. They were adding in foursomes starting on the back nine as we made the turn, making the back nine much slower. There was a large amount of cut grass on the rough, making play somewhat difficult. Traps were thin on sand and hard packed. Greens did roll true. Probably won't go back. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in the best I've seen it in a long time. Fairways are perfect. Greens are rolling smooth and quick. Rough is thick, as it should be this time of year. We had 5-6 balls in the rough. No problem finding them but hitting a good shot was a challenge. The rough puts a premium on hitting fairways and greens. Lots of work going on for the new clubhouse and "event center"...looking forward to seeing the finished buildings. Pace of play was excellent. We saw the beverage cart 4-5 times which was great for a Monday round. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I went out to Emerald Lake as a single around 1:30 Sunday when everyone was out playing in the nice weather. The starter got me out within 20 minutes when the first group with an open spot teed off. Pace of play was decent for a packed course. Conditions-wise, the course is in good shape. It's by no means perfect as the previous reviewer claimed. The course is in a bit of transition, with construction of the new clubhouse finally kicking off. The biggest impact is on hole #2 with a trench recently built for irrigation lines leaving a wide dirt path across the middle of the middle of the fairway about 150-175 yards out from the blue tees. I'm surprised they haven't sodded over it. Tees were in average shape, as were the bunkers. One I hit out of on #7 was hard pan. I noticed several others were in need of some maintenance. The good news was that fairways and greens were in really good shape. The greens were rolling pretty quick. I enjoyed my round and will be back, especially to see the progress on the new clubhouse. It's supposed to be done this fall. Justin Morin, the GM, has been posting updates on the construction. There are renderings of what it will look like posted in the pro shop. I'm really rooting for Emerald Lake because I love the layout -- and the proximity to my house! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played Emerald Lake in the late afternoon Saturday before the storms rolled in. There is a lot of construction/prep work being done for the new clubhouse. The course was quite busy for a Saturday late afternoon.Course was firm and fast before the rain. The course is in decent shape. Some parts of the fairways have significant bare spots, while others are perfect. The same applies to the greens. Some are in great shape, while others need work. Bunkers also varied from having barely any sand to being full of sand. I hope funds aren't being diverted from course maintenance to go towards the new clubhouse. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I really like Emerald Lake. The tee boxes were good, I played the blues. The fairways were excellent, good lies all day. The greens were terrible. They had punched about 2 weeks ago, not a problem, but the weeds were awful. There was not a putt that didn't bounce around. I'm not sure how the greens get out of hand like this? Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The front 9 was closed for greens aerification today and the back 9 will be tomorrow. So I played the back 9 twice, which made for a unique round. With aerification tomorrow as well as recent rains, the tees and fairways had not been mowed so they were little fluffier than normal. A few bunkers were also still in rough shape (especially the greenside bunker on 17), but should get fixed up tomorrow. The only other issue to note was that last week's flooding rains took out the bridge from the 18th tee to the fairway. So the detour from your tee shot to your second shot required a long ride alongside the 16th hole, down one street of the neighborhood and around the green at 18 back to the fairway. I told you it was a unique round of golf. GM Justin Morin says the bridge should be fixed this week and the greens will heal in about 2 weeks. He also said the course is set up nicely for the cooler Fall weather. I tend to agree. Despite the mostly hot, dry summer, the greens were still running well and there were no issues on the fairways or rough. Give Emerald Lake a couple of weeks and it should be in fine shape. Thanks to Tony and Shannon for letting me join them for these fun 18 holes today. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
After reading less than stellar recent reviews of Rocky River and Skybrook, I chose to travel ~ 20 miles further, and chose Emerald Lake and a tee time of 11:30 AM. The heat and humidity, especially after noon, conspired to make for an energy draining experience that was salved by the Senior Rate green fee and leisurely round. The course is undergoing grounds modification/repair (most notably along the driving range and No. 1 fairway), but that had no significant impact upon play. The only criticism of course conditions is the greens - almost all of them have extensive invasion of small weed sprigs/splotches. I would like to see the sand in the bunkers improved/replaced - one can get spoiled by the fluffy white stuff one encounters at resort courses, and begins to expect the same at all courses. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Unfortunately the relentless heat and traffic the course has been suffering is slowly taking it's toll. On some greens it was a sea of unrepaired ball marks.
Due to the heat, it seems they keep the greens wet, and the softness means even chip shots leave dents in them. So I really wish people were more diligent about fixing their pitch marks and some others.
But the greens are still VERY GOOD and the course is in good shape overall.
The staff are always superb here, very friendly in the clubhouse, and the starters are awesome. Makes a really nice start to the round when you feel so welcomed at a course.
One disappointment was finding almost all the coolers on the course to be empty, on a near 100 degree day. Hopefully they can do a better job monitoring them and refilling as the day goes on.
Bottom line, course is suffering a bit from wear and tear but still great. Let's all do our part to keep it in the best condition possible. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I emailed the day before to get the okay to be first out as a single Thursday morning. That was no problem. There ending up being one twosome that got out ahead of me by a few minutes but I played thru them on the 4th hole. So smooth sailing. The staff has done a lot of tree and brush clearing between the driving range and #2 hole -- which I think will be good and bad. Good in the sense that it's more open and you'll have a better chance to escape if you are in the trees on the left. On the other hand, it will bring the driving range into play if you go left at all, along with all the practice balls. There weren't any other course changes that I noticed. I played really well so I didn't get to see much of the course off the fairway. I did play from a few fairway bunkers though and they were just okay -- hadn't been manicured by the staff like the greenside bunkers -- which were really good. Speaking of the staff, they were helpful and friendly, including the mowers and rakers I played through. The tees were in good shape as were the fairways. I would give the greens a B+/A-. A few did have some sand leftover from the small spikes they used a week or two ago -- I only noticed the spike holes on one hole (#14). Overall, the greens rolled true and had good speed. I made several putts and had no complaints, even with a few stray ballmarks I had to fix. Emerald Lake's in good shape right now so I'll be back soon. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played this course for the first time based on the positive reviews I have seen. The course was in okay shape, but the greens are still healing from being punched and about half of them were completely covered in sand. Not exactly what I was expecting based on reviews. It was also frustrating to be sent out as a single behind a 5-some, especially during the morning when it's more crowded. The people I was supposed to pair with went off more than 20 minutes early. I was waiting at the 1st tee before the 5-some ever went off, but the starter sent them off anyways ahead of me. Waiting on every shot isn't fun. A few times even let them get a hole ahead since no one was behind me and caught them right back at the next tee. Was just expecting better. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
The course is in the best shape I have seen it in for years, with lots of work going into it' as well. There are a few temporary tee boxes but the tees under repair look phenomenal. Please please please FIX your ballmarks and divots to keep it looking great. The course staff get an A+ for customer service and effort here.
Try get out soon before the heat stresses out the course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I have played Emerald Lake a bunch of times and I am usually disappointed. Not right now though. Emerald Lake could be in the greatest condition I have ever seen it. Fairways are green and not too thin. The greens are in the best shape I have ever seen them. Some tee boxes were a little rough, but I could find a space to put my ball. I will continue to play it while it lasts, especially for the price. Read The Review
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- "Average"
the fairways haven't grown in yet. Lots' of skimpy lies. As we know the course does not drain well, there were lots of bare spots where water accumulates. It was 2 days after the big rain and cart path only. It needed to be. Tees are torn up. Greens are still a little bumpy from aerating. Good note, the bunkers were very good. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Greens were great. And bunkers were pretty good to be honest, but the rest of the course was beat up. Doing construction along the back of the driving range so you have mud and hard pan and trees for the first two holes seemingly everywhere. Got hit hard by rain the past week so the lies and fairways were not in great shape at all. This course hasn't been in great shape the last two years I've played it. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I put normal because of it being winter. I understand that we had a lot of rain earlier in the week but this course really needs to work on their drainage. I can not tell you how many times I would hit the fairway and have to take a drop because of casual water. Other than that, greens were pretty quick, and rolled good, but some greens were a lot slower than others. I will be back but if there is any rain at all during the week I might by pass this place till I know its dried out a little. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Temperature never got out of the 40's, and occasional wind gusts almost mandated a jacket, but I did manage with just a sweater. The greens were "green" and the fairways "brown", but both were in pretty good condition. The condition of the bunkers was poor - all were wet with too little fluffy sand as opposed to sandy mud. The bunker conditions affected all 3 players in our threesome. All in all, a good outing that started off well with a free bucket of range balls provided to kill time while waiting to squeeze into a starting time. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
As always the layout and fairways are great to play and in good shape. They need to switch out the greens as most everyone else has because the greens are very spotty. In addition to the greens being an issue I would recommend changing out the sand. They currently have, I think, a clay based sand that is rock hard after any rain. Finally, the new clubhouse location will be perfect to grab a dog and a beer on the turn because currently there is no chance for food throughout the round. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
As previously noted, lots of marks on the greens. I think it's where they are trying to get some type of weedy grass out of them. They were working on #3 while we played. Fairways OK, but thin in spots. Sandtrap I was in was low on sand and I skulled it out. Overall OK, Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The greens are just so-so now. So many ballmarks and bumpy spots. A little worried that summer heat may take its toll. The front bunker on #10 was filled with water and had not been touched by the maintenance staff. Everything else seemed fine. For now, though, I'd prefer this course's closest neighbors, Olde Sycamore or Charlotte National. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
3 hour round - fantastic pace. Teeboxes, traps good. Greens already showing lots of ballmarks, some had recent punches. They rolled fine, but it doesn't bode well for the next month or two. Another bent grass green course that needs to switch to Bermuda. Fairways were a bit weird in spots - they have been sodded, so there are some sod lines, but they also have humps and hollows in odd places. All that said, to get around in 3 hours on a busy Wed afternoon was just great. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Found a hot deal on GolfNow charging only $29 for a 11:30 tee time. The greens were smooth, but a little on the slow side. However, the course itself is a whole lot better than it was last year at this time. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in great shape. Greens are all healed up from aerification and rolling really good. The course is playing fast and firm...perfect. Fairways are growing and getting green. Maintenance crew was out doing a lot of work, clearing out a lot of places and making things look good. I play here a lot and it's playing nice right now....go play!!! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Course was in solid shape for this time of year. Fairways are starting to come in a little bit, and most of the lies are true. Greens rolled great and really smooth with very few blemishes. Played twilight rate for $25...anytime you can play the course for under $35, it's a great deal. Anything over $45 is still a little steep for the course imo. Tee boxes were rough although they had just been aerated and the bunkers were in good shape. Course is greening up and should be in peak condition in a few weeks. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Beautiful day for golf, but just so-so conditions to speak of at Emerald Lake. The day started at the driving range where there is no grass to speak of, pretty much bare so you are hitting off dirt. On the course, the tee boxes were similar - bare and had recently been punched. Fairways are still mostly brown and also bare in many spots. The greens are a few weeks out from aeration and they had all been top-dressed with sand. They rolled mostly fine, but the sand slowed things down. On the bright side, they have done some work on a few holes, notably clearing out the brush between what are now holes 7 and 8 (used to be 16 and 17). This will take some of the danger out of the 8th tee shot as it was easy to lose your drive in the thick bushes amongst the trees. Also, they cut back the trees to the front right of the men's tee box on 12 -- which was a good idea. They would almost block the right side of the hole from the tee. All in all the course is just in average shape right now and needs a few more weeks to get in season shape. I was disappointed in the price. $59 rack rate. I had to use a Clickit coupon to get it down to $51 -- which was too much given the winter-like course conditions. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
I know Emerald Lake has received some decent reviews lately, but neither I nor my playing partners could understand why. Yes, still winter and recent wet weather, but really nothing was close to decent shape. Teeboxes chewed up, greens bumpy, lots of sprayed bright green areas. Maybe it will improve in several weeks, but conditions are poor now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Playing golf a week after 8" of snow is great( and unexpected). The course is in great condition and the pace of play was excellent even with cart path only. Greens rolling very nice with a pretty good pace to them. We saw lots of the grounds crew doing tree trimming and branch removal. Course is looking good, greens rolling nice, snow is gone...go play! Also, the homemade soup and oyster crackers are fantastic! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I believe I have established the lower limit of my "comfort zone" for playing golf - temperatures were in the high 30's to lower 40's when I arrived at the course at 10:30 AM, and there was an almost steady, brisk breeze blowing. I doubt that the temperature ever exceeded 45, and I kept a jacket on during the entire round. The course was suffering from recent rainfall (indeed, we started on the back nine to give the front a chance to drain/dry)and it was "cart path only". All of the bunkers were damp, and a few had isolated, small puddles. Fairways were wet with isolated boggy areas. Most of the tee boxes were moderately sparse. These conditions were all likely due to the winter weather, and not the lack of course maintenance. My intent in mentioning the conditions is to alert those considering an outing in the next few days - scoring is likely to suffer (mine did, amounting to 3 more strokes on the second, wetter, nine.) Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course was in great conditions, browned as expected. Came up on a twosome and threesome that let me play through. Other than that, smooth sailing. Played through in 2:45. Greens overall were great, a few still show the aeration from about a month and a half back, rolled great. Go play here, it's worth the round. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The course is recovering from the effects of the fire that destroyed the clubhouse/pro shop. Part of that recovery is restructuring - reversing front and back nines - but that had no practical effect upon play. The speed of the greens continue to plague me , with two 3-putts on the first four holes, but I attribute that to not spending enough time on the practice green (rushing to get off). The greens were in fine condition - soft and receptive. The pace of play was nominal, but seemed much longer due to a slow foursome three groups ahead. Again, a Senior rate of $29 is hard to beat, and I heartily endorse and recommend the course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
As usual the course itself is in great shape...they did punch greens last week. I played a couple days after and the greens rolled pretty good. It's that time of the year, courses are punching holes. Called ahead and they told me the greens were punched and sanded (which was nice as some courses don't tell you). Punched but not terrible, still puttable. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in really good shape. Fairways were just mowed and no grass clippings left laying around. They changed the 9's around again so remember the old #1 is the new #1..or something like that. Greens rolling pretty fast..tee boxes are good..bunkers had sand in them, at least the couple I was in did. I enjoy the layout and the course conditions as usual. Pace of play was excellent..under 4 hrs for a 4some. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Afraid the greens are starting to show ballmarks. Everyone blames people not fixing hallmarks, but I think it is just what happens to most bent greens in NC late summer, the reason most are switching to Bermuda. Also a lot of "weed-looking" grasses around the greens, not pretty and made bump and run shots tricky. Teeboxes pretty hewed up also. Fairways, traps good. Rough was punishing but fair. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The greens are starting to show some significant signs of ball marking. Other than that, bunkers good, fairways a little inconsistent in length, but overall it is in great condition. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here. A really good experience. Played as a twosome and we flew around the course. Greens were fast. The abundance of ball marks poorly or improperly repaired was really a surprise. It would not hurt if the friendly staff made an extra effort to ask,plead, threaten or whatever to get players to fix not only their mark but also fix three other un-repaired marks. I've played many a fancy courses where this extra effort was made. The greens putted true except for the bumps. The course was very wet still. Traps had been worked on but still in rough shape. All of the staff were very friendly and made an effort to make this a great golf experience which they did! Rates for a senior on a Friday were among the best. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
It has been awhile since I have teed it up at Emerald lake - back when it still had its clubhouse. The trailer seems to be working just fine until they figure out what they want to rebuild. I was very happy with the conditions. The greens were in great shape. Sure, there are ball marks but I think this is more due to the type of greens than the ability of people to repair them. The fairways and tees were nice too. The traps were in tough shape but that is understandable due to the recent rains. The best part of the round though was the pace of play. Right at 4 hours on a busy Sunday? Not sure if it was the threat of rain but everyone seemed to be keeping it moving. With the deals available on line I will try to play here again soon. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The course was in great shape. I went out Sunday afternoon and took advantage of their awesome $25 twilight rate and to have a great round with my brother. The fairways were in great shape. Tee boxes were in good condition but could have used a little trimming. The greens were fun and fast. My only issue with the greens was the lack of ball mark repair done by the people playing on them. Guys, if we want great greens to play on then EVERYONE HAS TO REPAIR THEIR BALL MARKS!!!! I mean come on, it takes what two seconds fix? You should not be out there playing if you don't want to or can't fix a ball mark. If that offends anyone, then so be it. My two biggest pet peeves are not fixing ball marks and pace of play(when it come to golf). Speaking of pace of play, there was a 4 some that was two groups in front of us that had the WHOLE course backed up. They seemed to show a lack of caring by not being ready to play and taking there "sweet time " to play their shots. My brother and I were on the 4th tee and sat there and watched them in the 5th fairway. They were just being casual, like whatever, we don't care. There was one guy that hit a terrible shot. It went dead left into the water. He just stood there for a good 2 or 3 minutes before he decided to get in his cart. His other 3 playing partners just sat in their carts with their feet up not ready to play or anything. When we got done on 6, we said screw it and skipped 7 and 8 and went to the 9th tee. There was a two hole gap these guys had created by their SLOW play. After that, we had a awesome rest of the round on a great golf course that we will continue to return to many times. more. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in excellent condition. The greens on the back 9 that had problems are in way better shape..100% better. The course has come a long way from where it was a couple months ago. The greens are rolling good, smooth and fast. Fairways are good, tees are good. Enjoy the conditions and the layout...even after playing here all the time. The doughnuts on the first hole were excellent.... Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Emerald Lake seems to have recovered from their green issues. Fairways good, greens good and slightly fast, sand traps good. Emerald Lake is back in its normal condition that I have been accustomed to. They are still working out of trailers, didn't notice any construction to rebuild club house. A couple of busted golf ball washers on course about the time I was really needing one (minor things I know). Good course in good condition. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in excellent shape. Greens are filled in and rolling good. A little firm but smooth and fast. Even the couple greens on the back 9 (15-17) are better than before. Range balls were in great shape, clean and round. Pace was good for a Friday. I enjoy the layout and the guys in the shop are friendly and somewhat humorous. Side note: the chili was very spicy!!! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Play Emerald Lake for the first time this season. Course was in great shape for this time of year. The tees and fairways were in the same shape as all the other courses I have played, but the greens were in much better shape than most courses I have played in the last month or so. Pace of play was good. Hot dog was damn good. I am going back this weekend. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Emerald Lake is greening up nicely. Overall the course was in decent shape. The fairways were green an relatively weed free. The bunkers were in great shape. plenty of sand and recently raked. The tee boxes were ok on most holes. Once the bermuda gets going they should fill in fine. Now to the bad news--several of the back nine greens are being overtaken by poa. It's not bad and very playable on the front. no real problems there but late in the back nine, I think the starter said 15 and 16 (and a few other holes) had quite a bit of poa, I'd estimate those two greens were 40 to 50 percent. Those greens also has significant ball mark damage that was preventing any straight putts of any length.
On a side note, they still haven't broken ground on the new clubhouse yet. I was told they are hoping to occupy a new one next year. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Biggest issue with the course right now is that some of the greens have many silver dollar sized holes in them. I am guessing it was crab grass roots that they extracted. While the greens should be superb come spring/summer, they are just ok while they go through the healing process now. Might be worth staying away for a while until the greens recover from all those holes. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Greens are rolling good. Fast and smooth. 16&17 greens are getting better, still a little ways to go. All in all the course is in good shape. Bunkers were in good condition, at least the ones I played out of :)..pace of play was good for a Friday afternoon. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Pace of play was about 5 hours 15 mins. Busy saturday morning, but NO ranger out on the course anywhere to be seen. When you are charging $51 in the pro shop, this is inexcusable.
Greens and everything else good. If it wasn't for the slow pace of play and lack of a ranger I would have given them 3.5 stars for course conditions. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Let me start of by saying i am little bias to these type of courses. This course and Old Sycamore kind of rub me the wrong way. They feel manufactured so to speak.
Now onto the review. The course was completely brown with leaves everywhere. Not their fault due to it being fall, but I have seen other courses kept in better condition. There are some memorable holes such as the par 5 over the same pond twice. What really hurt this course is that the greens were murdered with ball marks. They were not in that good shape at all which wasn't fun. I know a lot of people like this course and old sycamore on this site. To me they are not visually appealing ( aka boring) and this one had no elevation changes. Overall i probably wouldn't be back unless I couldnt get a deal somewhere else Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Everthing good except the greens. They had significant issues - lots of ball marks, including big scars. They did a good job of keeping the pins away from the worst areas, but it is hard to recommend Emerald Lake when Olde Sycamore, Charlotte National, and Red Bridge all have perfect greens. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This course is in its normal condition with the exception of the greens. I would have to say the greens are as bad as I’ve ever seen them at Emerald Lake. I don’t mean to scare anybody, they are still in ok shape to play on, it’s just that they have always been in pretty good shape. There is still a thin layer of sand on the greens. Some of the greens have dead spots all over them a little bigger than your golf, where they sprayed to kill a weed or something. They also had a good bit of ball scars. Sand traps were in great shape. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Course was in good shape, greens had a thin layer of sand but that's normal for this time of year. Tees and fairways are good. Pace of play was real good. Overall worth playing. The club house that burnt down is gone and it looks way better now. Can't wait for a new building! Heard they hired a new GM/pro...? Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I had originally planned to play this afternoon at Charlotte National. But as it turned out the entire town of Stallings invaded the parking lot and course (all the cops) as there was a tournament going on. So I scooted on over to Emerald Lake and had a great round. It was my first time out since the clubhouse bit the dust. They've got it completely knocked down now and are carrying the debris off. Can't wait for the new construction. Anyways, the course is always good. Love the layout. Managed to par the signature 5th. Greens were a little bumpy as some sand had recently been put down - as most courses are doing now. Course is in good condition. I'm ready for the fall for temps to drop and for everything to green up again. I will be back as this is one of my top courses. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I really like this course....except when it rains. Unfortunately our tee time was in the morning and we had rain for 5 holes. There was a lot of standing water and no covers on the carts for your clubs. Hopefully Emerald Lakes can replace their burnt carts with carts that have rain covers. The fairways, tee boxes and greens look healthy. No bare spots for the most part but the greens need some work. Ball marks are a problem and a few holes have problems with weed growth. The greens did roll well and it appeared as if they place the pin in the "good" areas of the green. Not sure if that was intentional or just luck but they need to be aerated and seeded before I recommend or play this course again. $45 is a fair Sunday morning price and pace was great due to the weather. I would still choose this course over most of the Carolina Trail courses that are in the South Charlotte area…..except when it rains. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens starting to see poa anna and ballparks. Fairways furry and inconsistent. Rough very inconsistent - sometime thick, sometime thin. Waited on every hole, even though ultimate pace wasn't too bad. Won't be back for a while. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Wow, I sure got the aeration dates wrong. Apparently Emerald Lake punched about 2-3 weeks ago. Greens still have noticeable holes and bumpiness - not terrible, but clearly at least 2-3 weeks from running smooth.
Other than that, all was good. Fairways, teeboxes, traps, all in as expected condition for this time of year.
With one group letting us through, pace of play was phenomenal: less than 3 hours for 18. WOW! Love it. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Rained most of the prior day so the course was soaked. Greens were excellent all things considered along with the tee boxes. All of the traps were mini ponds and there was a lot of standing water on the course. No rain covers on the carts for your clubs and the carts must be stored outside because they needed to be wiped down on the interior before we could sit in them. I'm really nit picking and giving a heads up to anyone think about playing here after it rains. Still enjoyed the round and this is still one of my favorite courses because of location and price, but stay away if there is rain. Read The Review
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